The morning after the Raptors lost in overtime to Philadelphia to give the Sixers a 3-0 series lead, coach Nick Nurse had this simple message for his squad.
“If anyone can make it [effacer le retard et gagner], it could be us, he told them. We have nothing to lose. »
No NBA club has rallied from an 0-3 deficit to win a series. The Raptors have already snuffed two games out of priority, though.
Twice against the wall, twice they prevailed. It’s a confident group that will host the 76ers on Thursday.
“We knew a win could get us back in the series and give us a chance,” Nurse said. Listen, everyone was disappointed that it became 3-0. It felt a bit heavy for a while. »
“But when we studied video the next day, I liked the body language, I liked what I was hearing in terms of communication. I felt we were ready for what was next. »
“We are still in deficit. Like I said when it was 0-3, we just have to go for another win. The mentality remains the same. »
A win on Thursday would make Toronto the fourth team in NBA history to reach Game 7 after going down 0-3.
The magnitude of the challenge does not seem to weigh on the shoulders of the players. “I love playing in that atmosphere,” rookie Scottie Barnes said. It’s just crazy, it gives energy. It’s great to play in circumstances like that. »
Fred VanVleet is suffering from a sprained left hip, and is not expected to play on the show again. VanVleet was injured late in the second quarter of Game 4 and missed Game 5.
The Raptors went 14 games without him starting in late January with a knee injury. They have won nine of those encounters.
Pascal Siakam has become a real leader — he was a soothing voice in a noisy arena in Philadelphia on Monday. “The maturity and growth we’ve seen in him this season isn’t just on the field, but also as an individual,” said Chris Boucher. He discovered so many ways to approach guys, and when to do it. It’s wonderful to see. You see the growth. It’s a privilege to see this. »
Montreal’s Boucher has collected 8.4 points per game so far in the series, in addition to having six blocks.
Formative barriers
Gary Trent recovered from an illness, Thad Young recovered from a thumb injury and Barnes from a sprained ankle — initially many thought the injury could have cost him at least several weeks. “I feel great,” said Barnes, who always seems to be in good spirits. Mentally and physically, it’s going very well. »
Another blossoming young player is Precious Achiuwa. “Some guys gain a lot of confidence, and that’s something we need,” Nurse said.
Part of the Raptors’ belief in their abilities comes from the hurdles they’ve already been through.
Last season, the team had to be based in Tampa due to border restrictions related to COVID-19. In March, an outbreak of the virus caused them to drop significantly in the standings and miss the playoffs, for the first time since 2013.
Fans celebrated their return to Toronto last fall, but the Omicron variant meant the club had to play in front of tiny crowds, if any, for several weeks.
“Everything we’ve been through, the injuries, the protocols, we’ve weathered the storm every time,” Trent said. We stay calm and we don’t go too high or too low in any situation. »
There are also expectations that were “pretty low,” in Nurse’s words. Kyle Lowry moved to the Heat, and many observers did not see the Raptors reaching the playoffs. The campaign started with an uninspiring 98-83 loss to the Wizards.
“We didn’t know what our identity was,” Nurse said. We had a rambling or groping style. Then, we managed to chain four or five consecutive victories. […] There was a hollow sequence, then we got up again. We have kept in mind to continue to improve, precisely in view of this time of year. »